


The Crystal Gems' 1995 Reunion Tour

by excentricAnthropologist



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Canonical Character Death, Christmas, Family, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 02:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4503924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/excentricAnthropologist/pseuds/excentricAnthropologist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"After over a decade of silence, legendary rock band the Crystal Gems announced today that they will be embarking on a nationwide reunion tour beginning in April. This marks the first time the band has performed since the death of lead singer Rose "Rose Quartz" Universe in 1984."</p>
<p>An AU where the Gems were a popular rock band in the 70s and 80s but broke up after Rose died, and years later Steven convinces them to make a comeback.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

#### Famed frontwoman of the Crystal Gems dies in childbirth

##### November 4, 1984

Rose “Rose Quartz” Universe, best known as the lead singer of popular rock band the Crystal Gems, died this morning due to labor complications. She was 33.

Universe announced her pregnancy with husband Greg Universe, also known by his stage name “Mr. Universe”, back in April. The baby, a boy, is reported as being in healthy condition despite his premature birth.

To say that Rose Universe will be missed is an understatement; the singer was considered one of the most influential women in rock, with the Crystal Gems winning over a dozen Grammy awards and selling over 100 million albums worldwide. She was also known for her philanthropic work and environmentalism, and was a champion for women’s and gay rights. A testament to her popularity, fans have already begun mourning the loss of the singer, assembling memorials and holding candlelight vigils in her honor.

Universe, better known by her stage name “Rose Quartz”, was born Rose Diamandis in 1950 to a wealthy Connecticut family. She attended the University of Pennsylvania, but dropped out after two years and moved to New York City. It was here that she met the four women who would make up the band known as the Crystal Gems. They got their beginnings on the underground music scene and soon became known for their flamboyant costumes and eclectic blend of glam rock, prog rock, and electronic music.

The Crystal Gems emerged into the public eye in the summer of 1973 with the release of their first single, “Gem Glow”. A cosmic tour de force of glitter, sequins, and colorful hair, the all-female band quickly grabbed the attention of fans worldwide, and their first album, _We Are the Crystal Gems_ , quickly rose to the top of the charts upon its release. The album was the first in a series of concept albums chronicling the band’s fictional backstory as a team of gemstone-based aliens who were exiled from their home planet.

The group’s second album, _A Long Way from Homeworld_ , became one of the best-selling rock albums of all time with over 30 million copies sold. It was accompanied by a highly successful world tour, which cemented the Gems’ position as international musical sensations. Critics praised the album and tour alike, referring to both as “rock operas”.

As compelling as the Gems’ narrative was, it wasn’t just the sci-fi drama that stole the hearts of fans. The band’s songs often covered subjects not normally found in rock music, such as female empowerment and homosexuality. Accompanied with the fact that the Gems were an all-female band successfully cementing their place in the male-dominated rock music scene, the Crystal Gems quickly became icons for feminism and gay rights.

After several years of successful albums, tours, and awards, Rose Quartz announced her engagement to fellow musician Greg Universe. This announcement marked the beginning of a period of tension within the band, most notably between guitarist Cassandra “Pearl” Caoili and Mr. Universe. Rumors of a love triangle began to spread, fueled by long-standing speculation of romantic involvement between Caoili and Mrs. Universe, though none of the parties involved has ever spoken on the matter.

After a brief rough patch, marred by delayed albums and canceled concerts, the Gems seemed to get back on track with their Halftime Show performance at the Superbowl XVI in 1982, which was one of the most-watched halftime shows in the history of the game. Soon after, the band released _The Crystal Gems vs. the Diamond Authority_ , their most successful album since _A Long Way from Homeworld_. The accompanying tour was the band’s most critically-acclaimed and financially successful, with over 4 million tickets sold.

The Gems recently beaun recording their next album, but it is unknown what will become of the band now that their lead singer has passed away. We can only hope that, if this is the end for the Crystal Gems, that their music will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come, and that their message of courage and self-acceptance will live on. 


	2. Chapter 2

#### Beach City, December 23, 1994

_Bong, bong, bong..._

The sound of chimes reverberated up through the floor as the downstairs clock finished tolling midnight. Steven paused, listening for the sound of anyone moving throughout the house, and, hearing nothing, turned back to his reading.

Steven was huddled in his bed, the blankets pulled over his head like a cocoon. The small space was illuminated by the flashlight Steven clutched in his hand, shedding light on the newspaper article he was reading. The yellowing paper depicted a grainy black-and-white photo of a woman standing onstage and singing into a microphone, her voluminous curls framing her face like a halo.

Steven had read the article so many times that he pretty much had it memorized, but he still found himself re-reading it again and again. He kept it in a shoebox in his closet, along with other magazine articles and newspaper clippings he had collected from the depths of his dad’s storage unit (or on occasion, cut from library periodicals and smuggled out in his pockets).

He currently had several such articles spread out under his blankets, reading each one in turn by the light of his flashlight. They all chronicled the story of the Crystal Gems, the rock band that soared into the world like a shooting star, bright and blazing, lighting up and changing the lives of people all over the world.

And it had all come to an end with him.

“Steven?”

The sound of a voice outside his door made Steven jump. He acted fast, quickly shoving the papers and flashlight beneath the sheets. He had just emerged from the blankets and pulled them up to his chin when the door opened.

“Hi, Pearl,” he said sheepishly.

“Steven! Why are you still awake?” Pearl’s hands were on her hips as she strode into the room.

“Why are _yooouuu_ still awake?” Steven singsonged back, giving Pearl a grin.

Pearl rolled her eyes. “I’m an adult, Steven, I’m allowed to stay up later. And as a matter of fact, I was just on my way to bed,” she said, gesturing to the pale blue pajamas she wore. “I was just checking on you first.”

“Awww, you care about me!” Steven said, smiling wide up at Pearl.

Pearl rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide a smile tugging at her lips. “Of course I do, Steven,” she said, walking forward and adjusting his blankets.

Steven froze as her hand came dangerously close to where the clippings lay hidden, but she passed by them without noticing. He breathed a small sigh of relief, and closed his eyes, faking a yawn.

Pearl patted his head affectionately. “Finally getting tired?”

“Yeah,” Steven said, letting his eyelids droop. “All this holiday excitement… I guess it’s messing with my sleep schedule.”

“Yes, it certainly is a busy time for all of us,” Pearl said as she plumped Steven’s pillows. “Which is why it’s important we plenty of rest.”

Steven allowed his eyes to fall closed. “Yeah… rest…”

Pearl chuckled and pressed a kiss to Steven’s forehead. “Goodnight, Steven,” she said softly.

Steven kept his eyes closed until he heard the door close. He stayed perfectly still until he heard Pearl’s footsteps fade down the hall, then he pulled back his blankets. He clicked on the flashlight and rifled through the pile of papers before picking one out.

The glossy magazine cover depicted a thin woman with pink hair dressed in a turquoise leotard. She held a silver guitar and was looking at the camera with her shoulders squared, a proud look in her eyes. Bold letters below her read:

**The World Is Her Oyster: The world’s most successful female guitarist talks fame and feminism.**

Steven had never seen Pearl pick up a guitar. If their faces weren’t the same, he would have found it hard to believe that the woman in the magazine and the woman who had just tucked him into bed were the same person.

Steven quietly packed the papers away, tiptoeing across his room to hide the shoebox amongst the hodgepodge of knickknacks and clothes that was his closet. As he snuggled back into bed, Steven closed his eyes and pictured Pearl onstage, shredding on a guitar, losing herself to the music and the excitement of the crowd.

Steven smiled as he drifted off to sleep. What he wouldn’t give to have been there…

\---

“STEEEEEEVEEENNNNN!”

Steven was jostled awake when someone jumped on his bed. His limbs flailed as he bounced with the force of the jump.

“I’m awake!” Steven blurted, sitting up and blinking. “What-what’s going on!”

Steven’s eyes were still blurry from sleep, but he could make out the shape of a figure with wild black hair and a big grin on her face.

“It’s time to WAKE UP is what’s going on!” Amethyst said. “Your dad made pancakes and they’re waiting for you! They’re saying ‘Please eat us, Steven! We want you to eat us!’” Steven laughed as Amethyst reached out to tickle his belly.

"Tell them I’ll be there right away!” he said between giggles. Amethyst cackled and stood up, shaking back her long hair.

“Also, we’re going out shopping later," Amethyst added. "We still need to buy some last-minute Christmas presents; wanna come?”

“Yeah!” Steven said, jumping out of bed to follow Amethyst out the door. “Everyone’s gonna go?”

“Yup,” Amethyst answered, padding down the stairs in her fluffy purple slippers. “The whole crew.”

Steven jumped down the last few stairs and bolted into the kitchen. Seated around the table were five figures, a spread of pancakes and coffee before them.

Greg smiled as Steven entered the kitchen. “'Bout time, bud, these cakes were getting cold.”

Steven sat down next to Greg and began spreading butter on his pancakes. “I would never leave pancakes in need!” he answered his dad proudly. “I’m a responsible breakfast eater, thank you very much.”

Across the table from him, a woman with long blonde bangs sipped her coffee. “Ruby was going to eat them if you didn’t get down here soon.”

The woman sitting next to her froze mid-bite. “I was not, Sapphire!” she said, looking incredulously at her wife.

“Hey, if you didn’t, then I would have,” Amethyst said, sitting back down in her chair on the other side of Greg. “Just thought I’d give Steven a fighting chance.” She reached over Greg to give Steven a playful poke in the cheek.

Steven laughed and reached for the syrup. “Sooo, Amethyst told me we’re gonna go shopping today.”

The tallest member of the group nodded from her place at the head of the table. “Some of us decided it would be a good idea to wait until the last minute to buy presents.”

Ruby and Amethyst grimaced sheepishly into their pancakes. Garnet gave a smug smile. “So, Greg, being the gracious host he is, offered to drive us into the city to remedy the situation.”

“I needed more wrapping paper anyway.” Greg shrugged, smiling. “Plus, who doesn’t like going into the city during Christmas?”

“Not me!” Steven said through a mouthful of pancake.

“Steven, please don’t talk with your mouth full,” Pearl admonished as she stirred milk into her tea.

Steven swallowed. “Sorry,” he said, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

Amethyst rolled her eyes. “Geez, P, lighten up. The kid’s excited.”

“Well excuse me for trying to teach Steven proper table manners,” Pearl retorted, glaring at Amethyst over the rim of her teacup.

Steven looked between the two of them as he sipped orange juice. His stomach tightened uncomfortably. _Not again…_

Thankfully Garnet seemed to sense Steven’s anxiety, and raised a hand. “No fighting. It’s Christmas; we should all be getting along.”

“Amen,” Ruby agreed, clapping her daughter on the back as she continued to shovel pancakes into her mouth.

Amethyst and Pearl both frowned but said nothing. Pearl went back to sipping her tea, while Amethyst pulled the comics section of the newspaper towards herself and began to read.

Steven chewed his pancakes thoughtfully. He always hated it when Amethyst and Pearl fought. They got along most of the time, but they would often butt heads over the smallest things.

Steven had a hard time believing it, but Amethyst and Pearl used to be best friends. Steven knew they still loved each other, but they had been much closer before he was born. He mostly knew this from the stories his dad or Ruby and Sapphire had told him, but he also had a number of articles hidden in his room that documented the friendship between Pearl and Amethyst. He had photos of the two of them smiling and laughing, arms thrown casually around each other. Steven couldn't even remember the last time he had seen them hug.

"Hello, Earth to Steven!"

Steven was broken out of his reverie by Ruby waving her hand in front of his face.

"Huh?" Steven asked, blinking.

Ruby grinned. "Still asleep there?" She pointed a thumb at her wife. "Sapphire was asking you a question."

"Oh. Sorry, Sapphire."

Sapphire smiled. "It's no problem, Steven. I was just saying that all this talk of shopping made me wonder if you wanted to add any last-minute items to your Christmas list."

"Yeah, your list is weak, dude," Amethyst chimed in. "Come on; a Walkman, a Legend of Zelda shirt, some comic books..." Amethyst ticked the items off on her fingers. "Those are stocking stuffers! Where’re the video games? Where are the WWF tickets?"

"Oh, or a new suit!" Pearl exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "You know I've been saying that Steven doesn't have enough formalwear..."

Even Garnet grimaced. "Or we could ask _Steven_ what he wants..." she offered. She turned to Steven expectantly, and the others followed suit, and then twelve pairs of eyes were on him.

Steven poked at his food, trying to keep his face as neutral as possible. The truth was that there _was_ something Steven wanted, something that he would probably never get even if he traveled all the way to the North Pole and asked Santa Claus himself.

But if there was one thing listening to his mother’s music had taught Steven, it was to never give up, even when things seemed impossible. Steven was going to tell his family what he wanted, and even if it blew up in his face, at least he tried.

Just not right now.

Steven put on his best poker face and gave his family a cheery smile.

"I don't want anything else, really!" he answered. "I'm just happy to spend the holidays with all you guys."

There was a sniffle from across the table; Pearl's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Oh, Steven" she said, dabbing at her eyes with her napkin. "That's beautiful..."

"Wooooow Steven, when did you become such a sap?" Amethyst laughed as she gave Steven a playful punch on the shoulder, but she also seemed touched by his words.

Sapphire reached across the table to take Steven's hand in her own.

"We're happy too, Steven," she said softly, smiling and giving Steven's hand a squeeze.

Ruby's hand came down on top of Steven's and Sapphire's. "There's nowhere else we'd rather be!" she said with a grin.

Steven looked around at his family, then at the hands holding his.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Me neither..."

He ignored the feeling in his gut that told him he was lying.

\---

A few hours later the seven of them were piled in Greg's van, the backseat brimming with shopping bags and the radio blasting Steven's homemade mix tape of Christmas songs. Pearl had her hat pulled down over her ears in an effort to shut out the sounds of Steven and Amethyst trying to hit the final high notes in "All I Want for Christmas Is You".

Garnet and her moms clapped when Steven and Amethyst finished, and Steven bowed dramatically.

“Thank you, thank you, I’ll be signing autographs after the show,” he said in his best impression of a diva.

Garnet ruffled his hair. “Slow down there, Mariah,” she chuckled.

Ruby folded her arms. “I don’t get the hype about this Mariah chick,” she scoffed. “Sapphire did the whistle register thing way before her.”

Sapphire reached over Garnet to pat her wife’s knee. “Now Ruby, let’s not go comparing ourselves to our contemporaries.”

Ruby laced her fingers with Sapphire’s. “But Sapphy, how can I help but compare when your voice is the most beautiful sound in the world?”

Amethyst cackled and pretended to gag. “Grooossss!”

Garnet cringed and pushed her mothers away from each other. “Not now, please,” she said, voice tight with embarrassment.

“Mmpfh!” Ruby retorted with her face pressed against the window.

Everyone laughed; even Pearl managed a chuckle, and Greg was still chortling as he pulled into the driveway. “We’re here!” he said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

“Thank God,” grumbled Garnet, earning another fit of giggles from everyone.

The presents were gathered up and brought inside, where they were pushed inside closets and under beds to be wrapped later. Steven insisted that they all watch a movie together, so after dinner the seven of them settled in front of the TV, their hands clutching mugs of Pearl’s homemade hot chocolate and their eyes glued to _It’s a Wonderful Life_.

Steven sipped his cocoa and watched as George Bailey realized how different things would be if he had never been born. This was one of the reasons Steven liked this movie; he sometimes wondered if things would be better if he himself hadn’t been born, but George’s story gave Steven hope that he was meant to be here, that he was meant to do something great.

Only time would tell if that were true.

Everyone was wiping away tears as the credits began to roll, and Steven stood up to applaud.

“Bravo! Encore!”

“Steven, a movie can’t give an encore,” Amethyst laughed as she wiped at her face.

“Sure it can; we just watch it again!”

“Please no,” Pearl sniffled, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “I’m afraid that would be too much emotion for one night.”

“Plus, it’s kinda late,” Amethyst said, looking at the clock. “Got anything shorter?”

“Yeah,” Steven said as he rifled through the VHS collection. “What about... _A Charlie Brown Christmas_?”

“Sounds good to me,” said Greg. “Your mother loved that one.”

Steven felt his heart swell with a mixture of emotions too jumbled up to name, and he smiled as he pushed the tape into the VCR.

\---

That night, Steven dreamed of ice-skating with his mother.

_Christmas time is here_  
_Happiness and cheer_  
_Fun for all that children call_  
_Their favorite time of the year_

_Snowflakes in the air_  
_Carols everywhere_  
_Olden times and ancient rhymes_  
_Of love and dreams to share_

_Sleigh bells in the air_  
_Beauty everywhere_  
_Yuletide by the fireside_  
_And joyful memories there_

_Christmas time is here_  
_We'll be drawing near_  
_Oh, that we could always see_  
_Such spirit through the year_  
_Oh, that we could always see_  
_Such spirit through the year…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter came so late; I just started graduate school a month ago, so my life has been a bit hectic. Hopefully more regular updates will come in the future!
> 
> EDIT: I decided to make Steven's mixtape for real. Enjoy! :)
> 
>  
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hajwg6kxpQ4&index=2&list=PLRiY7Me_cQUTdPFKQa5a36ZMoPLCbV7lI


	3. Chapter 3

##### Transcript from a 1973 radio interview with Rose "Rose Quartz" Diamandis

DJ SUGAR: And we’re back with 109.7 W CNRS. This is DJ Sugar coming to you live; I’m here in the studio with one of the biggest, brightest, most colorful voices in rock right now, the one and only Rose Quartz!

ROSE QUARTZ: _*chuckles*_ Thanks for having me.

DJ SUGAR: It’s our pleasure, really! Honestly, as soon as I heard “Gem Glow” I knew we needed to have you on the show. I mean, let’s be real, none of us had ever heard anything like that before! Am I right?

_*mumbled voices of agreement from the back of the studio*_

DJ SUGAR: Yeah, we all were just floored! We were like “What is this, rock, pop, electronica?”

ROSE QUARTZ: _*laughs*_ Our music _does_ tend to defy definition.

DJ SUGAR: But that’s the beauty of it, isn’t it? It’s eclectic, it’s unconventional, it’s out of this world! Appropriate for your characters, isn’t it?

ROSE QUARTZ: Indeed.

DJ SUGAR: For those of you at home who don’t know what we’re talking about, the Crystal Gems aren’t just a band; there’s a story behind their music, about… well, why don’t I let the band’s creator explain it?

ROSE QUARTZ: I’d be happy to. The story starts with a far-off planet inhabited by a race of aliens based on gemstones. These beings, simply called “Gems”, are immortal, and their planet is a technological paradise. But the thing is, there’s a hierarchy on the gem Homeworld; what kind of gem you are dictates where you stand. Diamonds are royalty, Quartzes are warriors, Pearls are servants, that sort of thing.  
Anyway, our characters are Gems who decided, for one reason or another, that they were sick of the roles they were forced to play on their home planet, and so they started a rebellion and formed a group of freedom fighters called the Crystal Gems. They claimed a colony planet as their new home and fought a series of wars against the forces of the Gem Homeworld to defend it. They won, but were forbidden from ever returning to their home planet. They instead became the defenders of their new home and have now lived there for thousands of years.

DJ SUGAR: And that planet they occupied, that would be Earth?

ROSE QUARTZ: That’s right. The Crystal Gems have finally decided to share their story with the humans who live beside them.

DJ SUGAR: Amazing! It’s like a movie! Any hope we’ll one day see the Gems’ story play out on the silver screen.

ROSE QUARTZ: Right now there’s no plans to do so, but never say never.

DJ SUGAR: I’ll keep my fingers crossed. So, back to the real world: why don’t you tell us a little more about how this band came to be? Did you come up with the idea yourself, or was is a collaborative effort?

ROSE QUARTZ: I guess you could say that the band started around… five years ago? Back when Pearl and I were in college.

DJ SUGAR: Pearl’s your guitarist, right?

ROSE QUARTZ: She is; we were roommates freshman year. It started out as us just writing a few songs together for fun, but when we discovered that what we made together was pretty good we started toying around with the idea of starting a band. We decided to leave school and move to the city, and it wasn’t long before we rounded out the band with Sapphire, Ruby, and Amethyst.

DJ SUGAR: Now, I almost don’t want to know, but those aren’t your actual names right? I mean, as _awesome_ as it would be for all of you to coincidentally be named after gemstones, they’re stage names, correct?

ROSE QUARTZ: _*laughs*_ Most of us use stage names, yes. Ruby and I are exceptions; her name is actually Ruby, and I just tacked on “Quartz” to the end of my first name. But the rest of the band’s Gem names might as well be their real names; we hardly ever call each other by our real names anymore. Pearl actually started using her’s as a nickname before the band even started. As a matter of fact, it was Amethyst pointing out that Ruby and Pearl both had gems as their names that inspired us to center our whole band around the idea.

DJ SUGAR: So cool! Almost makes me want to come up with a gem name for myself…

ROSE QUARTZ: _*laughs*_ By all means, go for it! Believe me, you’re not the first fan to want a gemsona for yourself…

DJ SUGAR: “Gemsona…” You heard it here, folks, you’ve got permission from the rebel leader herself to make up gem characters! Break out your record player, put on “Gem Glow” for some inspiration, and get those creative juices flowing!

ROSE QUARTZ: Feel free to send drawings our way! We love seeing them.

DJ SUGAR: We’ve got to take a short break, but to help get you started on making those gemsonas, here it is, the Crystal Gems’ first hit: “Gem Glow…”

\---

 _There’s a light that shines from within_  
_Something that’s all your own_  
_It’s there even if you can’t see it_  
_Look deep down and you’ll know_

_It’s your Gem Glow..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: "I'm going to update this next chapter really soon!"  
> me, a year later: *:,)*
> 
> Yeah..... to say this chapter is a long time coming is an understatement. I've had one hell of a year; starting grad school, getting a job, quitting that job, starting student teaching, getting registered to be a substitute teacher, having a few crippling mental breakdowns, getting sucked into various other fandoms... Anyway! I hope I can stay committed to this work now. I won't make any promises in terms of when things will update, but I'm excited to be working on this again! :)
> 
> Also sorry for the shitty song lyrics, I'm not a musician or a lyricist at all. XD


End file.
